Texts & Textiles: Proverbs 31

Today is my 34th birthday, and I’m celebrating here with one of my favorite Bible verses. Although the image of the “Proverbs 31 woman” has been tarnished by narrow exegesis and mediocre women’s conferences, it remains a powerful and challenging picture of a productive, joyful, generous life. This image should challenge and inspire not only women, but the entire Church, Christ’s bride. To learn more about the prophetic witness of this passage, you can explore Peter J. Leithart’s excellent exegesis on FirstThings.com, as well as “Wisdom or Sloth: The Character of Work” in Ellen Davis’s Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture.

Image credit: My talented friend Stephanie Harris Trevor took this photo of me spinning a number of years ago, as we shared a happy Thanksgiving Day with friends in Waco, Texas. Check out more of Steph’s work here.